Unbreakable
by babyvfan
Summary: Incredible was the correct term for their powers. Together as one was the source of their strength. Unbreakable was their bond. Yet how far does loyalty go before everything...blows up in smoke?
1. Chapter 1

_**Unbreakable**_

Once upon a time…something completely extraordinary happened.

The young woman screamed out in pain. She could feel the pain all over her body. Head, feet, back, but it was abdomen that was the main source of her pain. It was where a series of brutal, long contractions went off over and over again, going on for so long she almost couldn't remember a time when she wasn't in pain.

"It's alright, dear." To her left, a cloth bathed in cool water was pressed against her brow, wiping away the sweat. To her right, an elderly priestess stood beside her, taking careful note of her condition, speaking in a gentle tone.

"It…" It almost pained her to speak. She spoke in between short breathes. "_Hurts_."

The priestess nodded, understandingly. "Keep in mind. Each pain brings the child closer into the world."

_May the good gods of Mars help me_, the young Martian woman, screaming as another ripple of pain shot through her.

She glanced up at her husband. He leaned against the wall, nearly hidden from sight by a crowd of commotion and women in front of her. His posture was straight, hands crossed behind his back, perfectly attentive to what was going on. Yet he hadn't said a word. She couldn't make out his expression. Was he as anxious as she was? Impatient?

She sent him a small smile, one he didn't return.

"Is it time?" he asked, the question meant for the priestess.

"Yes. By the contradictions, it seems the baby is eager to come out," the priestess lifted the expected mother's chin up. "When I say push, I need you to push as hard you can. Understand?"

Her head jerked in a movement that was a close intimation of nodding. Waves of contractions were riding on her, stronger and brutal than before. But beneath the pain, she felt something that was different. The deep need. The need to push, to bring her new baby into the world was all that came to her mind, and she was overwhelmed by the deep-rooted intensity.

Once the priestess and the midwife positioned themselves, she grabbed hold on another's hand and pushed. The pain was so much, her body almost failed. It was so close to shutting down, due to not the only the pain, but the gradual exhaustion eating away at her. She forced herself to go beyond it, to push it out of her way, and muster all the energy she had into pushing.

How long she pushed, she had no idea. All she knew was her screaming was getting louder and louder each passing second, echoing throughout the halls. It was the priestess's words of encouragement that forced her to keep going, to keep pushing.

"One more push," the priestess said. "One more and the child will be out."

"I can see the head!" the midwife cried excitedly.

"Do not fail, K'inoa." Those were the first words her husband said directly to her, looking her right in the eye for the first time since she had been in labor for the past one hundred and twenty hours. His eyes were fierce and firm.

The time was now, she could feel it. The overwhelming need came on stronger than ever, and she could something-her baby-trying to come out. All her child needed was a push. Ignoring the blackness forming around the corners of her vision, she gritted her teeth, grabbed the poor nurses' hands, and pushed.

And pushed. And pushed.

"I see something!" She was somehow able to hear the old woman's voice clearly over her screaming. Or maybe her hearing was off, and her mind, suffering from sheer exhaustion, was playing tricks on her. "Keep going."

Her teeth were gritted so tightly, her molars were cracking under the pressure. She could taste blood filling in her mind. Still, she gave one final push, using every bit of energy she had within herself, feeling her baby finally slipping out of her.

"_GREAT MERCY!_"

She was startled by the scream, and was stunned by the sudden silence casted over the room. No one was speaking, no one was moving. She opened her mouth to ask what happened, what became of her child, but something was wrong.

She couldn't speak. Her breath was caught in between her dry throat, her neck trapped in a tight, suffocating grip. She couldn't breathe. She tried to call out to someone, but her breathing only worsened as her heart throbbed painfully in her chest, as if someone held it in a tight fist, slowly squeezing it.

_My baby_, she thought, frantic. She needed to know what happened. Was the baby okay? Did she or he live? She was trying desperately to stay conscious, trying so hard not to give into the pain, but it was too much.

My baby. Her mind swept into the blackness.

* * *

She didn't know how long she slept. Could have been a few minutes, maybe hours. Maybe even days. All she knew was something gone terribly wrong. One moment, she was pushing her child out, bringing life to the infant. The next, she was suffering through a double dosage of the worst pain she ever felt in her life.

Glancing around the room, she was stunned to see huge, widen-gaps cracked between the walls, running down the walls and up to the ceilings, walls said to be blessed with protection from any kind of threat. The air was pulsing with the aftermath of power, such strong power it left her cold and shaken. She was the only one in the room. Where were the mid-wives? Where was the priestess? Her husband?

Just then, as if he were summoned, he entered the room. She couldn't suppress her horrifed gasp as he stepped closer, and saw his face.

The right side of his once-handsome face was scarred from the hairline to the neck by five thick, vivid red lines. One line pulled down the corner of his left eye, another twisted at the right side of his mouth into a permanent-looking grimace.

_J'aames_, she thought.

He made no response to her shock, his face a perfectly calm mask. In his arms, he carried a bundle wrapped in yellow blankets.

The bundle looked so small, and wasn't moving. Fear paralyzed her, twisting her heart.

The baby.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, blurring her vision. Her words were choked up with her strong sobs that shook her body, despite her efforts to calm herself down. It was as if the more she tried to try them, the more she wept.

Please, she said, her words mixed in with her quiet sobs. "Tell me the baby…isn't…"

He just shook his head slowly and walked over to her. He didn't touch her, didn't comfort her. He stayed silent as she cried, letting her have a moment. When she quieted her sobs into silent tears, he said "A power surge of some sort went off and spread all throughout the planet. In one instance, minds were twisted in pain, bodies shocked, and hearts tightened by a strong grip."

_Including the council_, he continued on silently. _They felt it most of all._

Her pain was temporality forgotten, being overshadowed by her shock. She recalled the pain she felt. Her mind being played with, and burning in pain. Her heart being crushed. She assumed she was the only one who felt the pains.

"How?" The word slipped from her mouth.

Not saying a word, her husband placed the still bundle on her lap, and then pushed the blanket away.

K'iona gasped softly.

Her baby wasn't a baby. They were twins, identical twins. Twin daughters still as statues, heads titled toward each other. With no heartbeat and pulse in their tiny bodies.

"How-"

"They were the cause of the surge," he explained. "In a single breath, they nearly brought Mars down to its' knees. Then fallen to this suspended state."

Impossible.

K'iona looked down at the small creatures resting on her lap. She couldn't help but admire their beauty. They looked so beautiful, so precious, and so helpless. It was hard to imagine such powers were caused by something so small. Her hand slowly reached down to touch one's cheek.

But before her finger could make contact, a suddenly pulse went off, as quiet as a whisper yet as powerful as thunder, shocking the mother like lightning bolts. She yelped out in pain, pulling her hand back. Trying to ignore the pain, she turned to her daughters.

Energy sprouted from their fingertips. Their fingers twitched for a moment or two, the movements done extremely slowly, before they moved. Their tiny hands then slowly reached out for one another, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, fingers entwined. Their hands clasped each other tightly, as if they couldn't bear to be apart. At the joint of their hands, incredible power suddenly exploded, flowing through their bodies, which glowed in bright, magnificent colors, forming a barrier around them. The ground trembled beneath their feet, the gaps widening as the planet suffered through the powerful quaking. The mother could feel the pain coming back, almost in an instant being suffocated as her poor heart went through the slow torment. As the pulses continued in a rapid pace, the more power went off and the brighter their bodies glowed.

The pulses then stopped, dying down into quiet thumps. The husband's somber face broke into pure shock; the mother couldn't tear her eyes away.

Cracks began slashing across the barrier, like slashes from an assistant's dagger. Slash, slash, slash, they continued to produce, spreading across the barrier. With so many cracks around it, the barrier weakened, shattered into bits, and flew away like powder.

A second went, then another, and another. Finally, the twins opened their eyes at the same time, revealing a rich shade of hazel eyes that were wide-set, giving off such innocence as power pulsed through their veins.

Once upon a time, something extraordinary happened.

For the time in over one million years, in Mars' history, twin sisters were born.

Their powers had no limit and were incredible. It could easily bring beauty and creation as well as destruction and chaos.

Their strength was mighty. One could easily rock an entire nation alone, but together, chaos would spread in every planet, throughout the galaxy.

Their bond was a wonder. One knew the other's thoughts before she even knew it. One could feel her sister's pain and anguish as if it were her own. One couldn't be without the other.

Their bond was incredibly, utterly unbreakable.


	2. Chapter 2

**Unbreakable Chapter 1 **

Her hand reached out toward her window, toward the sun. Its brightness shone glorious light in her room, bringing a new day. She loved mornings like this.

The Martian sighed. The one thing she loved so much about mornings was the sun. It was so pretty, it was beautiful, and so warm and promising. Ever since she was a child, she wished could touch it. Feel its rays and bask in its light. But to get that near the sun….

M'gann sighed again, lowering her hand back onto the bed. The price was way too high, so the best she could do was imagine from a distance.

A pair of warm, soft lips kissed her shoulder blade, sending chills and tangles up and down her spine. In a good way, always in a good way. It pulled her away from her thoughts, and turned her attention over to the dark-haired clone lying beside her in the bed.

Connor's lips trailed upward, toward her neck, kissing the spot where her pulse was racing by his touch. She felt his smirk turning up against her skin. "What are you thinking about?"

She sighed contentedly as she snuggled against her boyfriend's warm chest. Her bed felt so much better whenever he was sleeping with her. She took his hand and kissed it gently. "Things."

_Like?_ His thought asked.

M'gann turned herself around and wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling at the one on his face. Her boyfriend, a title she never got tired of saying, had such a beautiful smile. It wasn't something people saw often, but the wait was so worth it once it was seen. She was awarded that smile whenever the two had privacy in the Cave.

_I was thinking what the boys will say when I tell them you're the greatest cuddle-buddy_, she teased.

Connor pulled back and glared at her. M'gann smiled sweetly at him. The next thing she knew, she was underneath him, arms pinned over her head, and her smirking boyfriend above her.

Seeing the look in his eyes, M'gann knew trouble was coming. "You wouldn't dare." she warned.

His smirk broadened. His fingers trailed up from her thighs he was previously caressing up to her stomach, pushing back the thin tank top she wore to bed and brushing his fingers against her soft skin. "Oh, yes. I would."

"Connor!" She started yelling, which turned to loud laughter, as her boyfriend tickled her stomach. She tried to move away, but he had a good hold on her. She might be a powerful Martian, but in the end she was no match for his super strength. The more she squirmed, struggling to free herself, the more he tickled her.

"Take it back!"

"Never!"

"Take it back!" He tickled her harder, switching from his fingers to his lips, which made her squeal in delight, as they peppered kisses on her stomach.

_Damn him_, she thought, laughing. She hated when he had her trapped like this. On the other hand, she also hated losing to him, too. More.

_Hello Megan!_ A brilliant idea came to her mind.

The Martian quickly cupped the clone's face once he was close enough and kissed him on the lips, softly but letting her lips linger. He was caught off guard by the sudden move, but nevertheless responded to it, pressing their bodies closer together as the kiss lengthened.

If someone told her she would find a new life on Earth, she'd tell them that would only happen in her dreams. If someone were to tell her she wouldn't only make great friends, but have a wonderful boyfriend, then she knew they were messing with her. After everything that happened to her in Mars, even when she changed her appearance, she was convinced she wasn't going to be that lucky.

She was never more happy to find out she was wrong.

Her teammates have been great friends to her, the first ones who to reached out to her in decades. Kaldur was like the big brother she never had, and Artemis was as much as a sister to her as she was a dear friend. And Connor was, lack for a better word, perfect. He was still the hot-headed boy Kaldur and the others rescued from Cadmus, he still had his moments, and there were times he can really go overboard when it came to her. Nevertheless, Connor never backed down, was there when needed, and proved along the way how much he cared. That was more that what she could hope for.

They've been together since their Twin Terror mission, when Connor was frightened to death about her dying inside the ice. She could still remember it like it was yesterday. Connor at first being mad at her for speaking out to the stint, letting out forbidden thoughts in his head he refused to surface. Him telling her repeatedly he was on his way, that he'd save her. Begging her not to leave him. Connor then cupping her face as if she were delicate, looking deep into her eyes. Really deep, as if he was seeing her for the first time. Slowly placing his lips over hers, making everything insignificant slip away into nothingness.

Everything except the soft touch of his lips against hers, and the current that was set off by it, connecting them together and pulling them closer until it was like they were one person. And the feeling never went away. A year later, the feeling was still there. Everytime they kissed, the feeling, the passion that burnt her veins in the sweetest way possible, made her the worst addict to the taste, only grew stronger the closer they were to each other.

The Martian was so caught up in the kiss, which produced into more and more, and the taste of Connor's lips, she almost forgot her idea. Quickly remembering, she allowed the kiss to linger on a bit longer, leaning down against the bed as her boyfriend came closer to her, following her path. Then, just as he was on top on her-

Phew! He was making out with her pillow.

Baffled, Connor got up and kept his eyes opened. M'gann was still in the room. He sensed her presence. He only needed to find her.

Using his x-ray vision, his piercing blue eyes scanned the area. Near the closest, his target waved innocently, smirking at him. He wasted no time grabbing her by the waist and wrestling her onto the bed, ignoring her protest laughter. Once he got her onto his bed, he straddled her waist and showed no mercy as he tickled her entire stomach with both his fingers and lips for twenty minutes.

By the time Connor pulled away, he felt a sense of triumph. M'gann's face was flushed, her breathing shallow. He smirked at the sight.

Brushing loose strands of red away from her face, he asked "Now what are we going to tell the guys?" He brushed his finger lightly against her naval, reminding her of the consequences to come if she didn't answer right. She jumped at the touch.

Still breathless, M'gann rolled her eyes half-heartedly, unable to keep the small smile away from her face. "You're the toughest guy I know who doesn't even know the meaning of the word cuddle."

"Damn right." He cupped her face delicately, all traces of smug humor erased by the soft smile breaking across his lips as he looked down at her. Even with her face flushed and hair bed-ruined, he still gazed at her as if she was the most beautiful thing in the world.

As his lips touched her, M'gann moaned at the sinfully sweet taste of fireworks she felt dripping from his lips. Warm and intoxicating, incredibly easy to become addict. He tasted so good, so sweet in the worst (and best) way; she needed to have more of him. Unable to control her greediness, she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Connor weaved his fingers through her hair and leaned closer to her.

_And for the record, _she felt the need to clarify. _I was thinking about the sun and how beautiful it is. _

Connor thought back, _I suppose it's something. But I can think of something else that tops it._

_And what would be?_

_You, _his thought was low and filled with desire. He added to that thought powerful urgency into the kiss that her breath away. He kissed her passionately to tell her she was his, and all his alone.

And M'gann could do nothing more than respond hungrily to the kiss, becoming lost in it once again.

* * *

In the briefing room, the rest of the team was already up.

Zatanna was in the kitchen, sitting at the table, reading a book of ancient spells Doctor Fate had given her last week during his mentor duty. He believed studying them might benefit her in the future. Beside her, Robin was studying for a test, although he seemed to be studying the dark-haired girl sitting next to him more than his notes. Kaldur and Artemis were getting cozy on the living room couch, the girl seated onto his lap and laughing, him brushing back her hair. Wally was in front of the TV, having a full box of donuts to go with his favorite movie playing onscreen, _Napoleon Dynamite._

_Why he likes that movie so much, I'll never know._ Connor shook his head, annoyed.

"It's not a bad movie, Connor," she whispered, and then said out loud to the rest of them "Good morning everyone!"

"Morning!" they replied back

"But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?" Much to Connor's annoyance, Wally decided to be a wise-ass so early in the morning. He held everyone's attention as he stepped onto the coffee table, waving his chocolate donut-held hand in the air Shakespearean style. "It is the east, and Megalious is the sun."

_Remind me to use him as a bat when I go after Mr. Lloyd, _Connor gritted his teeth. M'gann held him back to prevent something bad and painful from happening.

Last month at school their drama teacher, Mr. Lloyd, who lived and breathed the arts, decided to do a production of _Romeo & Juliet_, Shakespeare's most famous play about passionate love that fallen into deep tragedy. It was one of M'gann's favorite plays she read and watched religiously. When she heard the school was doing it, she immediately tried out for the role of Juliet.

She studied the role for years, perfecting it almost as wonderfully as she did with Megan. It was that dedication that won her the part. The only thing that would have made things better was if Connor tried out for the part as Romeo. But it was already hard enough convincing him to come to school most of time. Making him join anything school-related, including plays that he strongly disliked, was a whole other story. Wally, on the other hand, tried out for the play. He claimed it was because the guidance counselor told him he needed an extracurricular activity to show he cared about the school, but everyone knew the real reason was because he heard who was playing Juliet.

Almost everyone, including the whole team, turned up to watch his audience. They all expected Wally to come off as super cocky, making up the words as he went along, basically making a fool out of himself.

Wally, however, did the opposite. He simply stepped onto the stage when his name was called, and said Romeo's first lines during his first scene. He was good. _Really_ good. In the entire four minutes of that performance, he portrayed Romeo: somber in manner, grieved over the lost of Rosaline, and suffered from an aching longing for something more.

He was really that good. So good, everyone, including Mr. Lloyd and M'gann, were speechless. Soon Mr. Lloyd was able to pull through, and wanted to see how good he and M'gann were together. M'gann didn't know what to expect. She almost thought she was dreaming the first time around, but when it was their turn to portray the first meeting between them Wally proved her wrong. He was good in Romeo's first scene, he was brillant in the masquerade scene. He was awe-struck, looking into her eyes, as if he was seeing the glories of heaven, and even made her feel a bit weak in the knees by his intensity in the scene.

Suffice to say, Wally got the part. And almost immediately after that, Connor signed up to part of the stage-hands staff helping with the props. He said it was he wanted to spend more time with her, but as sweet as that was M'gann knew it was because Connor didn't trust anyone who was too close to her. Including Wally, who was actually the reason why he was so overprotective.

"Wally," she stepped in front of the hot-headed clone, pushing him back. "I think you should save all that energy for opening night. It's a week away, and you shouldn't waste it."

The speedster took a quick peek at Connor and smirked, unable to resist pushing his buttons. Snapping his fingers, he said "That's right, opening night. When we finally kiss on the lips, passionately and deeply for a full five seconds, displaying our affection for the whole world to see."

Superboy resembled an enraged bull seeing red, fuming and ready to kill. M'gann could feel her grip on him loosening, and that worried her. She had no idea how long she could hold him.

Wally, the little trouble-maker, couldn't keep away the small, mischievous smile on his face. Even though it was clear his favorite Martian was off the market, it didn't stop from having a small bit of hope they could end up together. Also, it was fun seeing how far he could push Suppey. What he could say? It was his favorite game.

"And babe," He rewarded himself with twenty extra bonus points for turning Superboy's anger up a notch. "Don't worry about putting on lip gloss. It will only get smudged by the time we're done."

"Oh no." Robin whispered. Zatanna looked up from her book, alarmed, sensing the grave tension.

"_That's it!_"

Before they could blink, Connor pounced like a wildcat, taking Kid Flash down to the ground, creating a dent in the ground by the sudden impact. Twisting the poor boy's body up like a pretzel, he grabbed hold of his collar and pulled back hard. Then punched him hard in the chest.

"Ow!"

"Connor!"

"Break it up, guys!"

Robin took out his phone and recorded the whole ordeal, laughing at the fury in Superboy's face and the panic on Wally's reddened face. Maybe it was a little mean, but a wise man once said one man's pain was another joy. And right now he was enjoying every minute of Wally's pain. "This is so going on YouTube."

Artemis came behind the Boy Wonder and smacked him against the red, frowning. She snatched his phone. "Robin, you're such an idiot," she scolded. "This needs to go on Facebook. It will get more buzz that way."

"Right."

"Robin, Artemis!" Kaldur warned them, frowning disapprovingly.

"Sorry, babe." she winked. She handed Robin back his phone and winked at him when her boyfriend wasn't looking, letting him know they were so going to upload it later.

"_Oxygen_!" Wally gasped his voice stammering and high. Connor tightened his choking grip on him. "Oxygen!"

It took all of them to pull Connor off him. It was hard, it was deadly, and was almost as dangerous as World War II. Things got so bad Zatanna and M'gann had to use their powers to hold Connor back, and made sure he was a good distance away from Wally as Aqualad inspected him.

Connor definitely didn't go down without a fight. That was clear from the bright, swollen bruise around Wally's neck where he was nearly strangled to death. And also the marks from his back where he landed on the ground, and some bruises from Connor's punch. All looked extremely painful, but it was his neck Wally rubbed first, wincing slightly.

Artemis shook her head at him. "If there was a career based on being a complete jackass, you'd be the CEO. No doubt."

Wally scowled at her. There were so many times he wished she was a guy, so he could hit her back for her unneeded comments. "Why don't you do something useful? Like shutting your mouth."

The feisty blonde returned his nasty glare with one of her own, her dark eyes sharp as daggers. "I can think of something more useful. Using my fist to knock you into the nearest hospital."

Kaldur immediately stepped in; pulling Artemis away from Kid before any another world war broke out among teammates again. He might have pulled her back, but there was little anyone could do to stop them from arguing, loudly.

Watching them, M'gann couldn't help smiling to herself. There was once a time, she, along with Robin and Zatanna, thought Artemis and Wally might end up together. From what she read in her books, seen in TV, and watched in her favorite movies, when people argued as much as they did and seemed to strongly dislike the other, it was usually a cover-up to hide how they really feel. They had gotten off on the wrong foot because of Wally's rude behavior toward the archer when she first joined the team. But M'gann wondered what would have happened if they were nicer to each other.

She soon found out from Artemis you can't trust what books and movies say all the time. She made it clear the only cover-up she had regarding Wally was even more disdain underneath, claiming she only put up with him because the team needed him. He was too much of an annoying little brother for her to muster any romantic feelings for him.

Kaldur, on the other hand, was an entirely different story. Artemis had a thing for him since they went to the beach, and saw him shirtless. Seeing his tight, fit body opened her eyes. It was then she saw how very attractive the solemn leader was.

M'gann was a little surprised at first because she rarely seen them together, but had to admit she did see the chemistry. True, they were really different. Kaldur was one who believed in planning, Artemis was more of a punch now and ask questions later type of girl. Artemis was bolder and a bit looser, Kaldur was always on guard. Yet at the same time they were alike, both of them strong-willed and loyal, and completed one another. She was more relaxed around time, and his guard was more dropped around her.

Maybe if they found someone for Wally, they could finally have peace.

"Wally," M'gann held her hand out, and helped him up. "Mr. Lloyd isn't going to be happy if his Romeo gets injured before opening night."

_The way he keeps pushing_, Connor said. _It's a definite guarantee._

"I have a suggestion," Zatanna announced, calling their attention.

Her suggestion: the Happy Harbor Mall. Plenty of stores were throwing huge autumn sales, it was a beautiful day outside, and there were loads of things they could do. Zatanna and Robin went off to the arcade to finish the game they left off last week, Artemis dragged Kaldur to a few stores to get some new clothes, and Wally went off to his favorite section of the mall, the food court. He was still hungry even after chomping down two dozen donuts and three candy bars from the vending machine.

As for M'gann, she decided to do some shopping on her own. True, she was a Martian who could easily shift her clothes into any outfit she wanted, just like she did with her form. The way she saw it, though, was why waste on all that 'vulnerable' energy she could channel into her other powers and easily buy actual clothes. May not be the best excuse, but Earth definitely provided cute clothes she wouldn't have come up with on the spot. Plus, she did deserve a treat for herself every now and then. And, Martian or not, she was still a girl who loved fashion and clothes.

Like any girl, she'd go into every store of her liking, picked things from the rack that caught her eye, and try out her findings in the dressing room to figure out which one was the best look for her. Depending on her findings, her time in the dressing room ranged from half an hour to a bit over two. It was the type of time she knew Connor didn't have the patience, but he still went with her anyway since there was nothing else for him to do.

_You are paying me back later_, Connor met her eye, his own eyes frowning in irritation.

_You came on your free will_, M'gann reminded him. _It wasn't like I had to use any persuasion to change your mind. _She stood on her tip-toes and kissed his cheek. _And for the record, you could have gone with Wally. _

He shot her a look that questioned her sanity, which made her laugh. _Right, because watching Kid eat down the whole food court, then the rest of the mall is my idea of a perfect Saturday. _

"Well," she continued their conversation out loud. "You two could rehearse some more lines from _Romeo and Juliet_." She leaned in close to him, and raised her eyebrows suggestively "And you can be Juliet."

The look he gave her really took it home, completed with wide are-you-crazy eyes making her laugh so hard several people passing by them stole glances at them. He grabbed her forearm, ignoring her laughter as he steered them up to the fourth floor, where most popular stores for girls were at. "I'm going to pretend you did not just say that," he said, making her laugh harder. He pushed her gently in front of him, toward the stores. "You just go shop, so it can be done with."

It took M'gann a full minute before she could control herself. She looked around at different stores sandwiched in between each other, announcing great sales, customers coming in and leaving, amazing clothes displayed on the front window for all to see. Urban Outfitters, Right Fit, Express & Impress, and, her favorite, The Spot, a cute boutique that had new shipments of designer knockoffs from all over the world every week.

The outfit the red-headed mannequin wore in the store's window was of those new shipments. A dusty-pink, short wrap cardigan over a white tube top, a bleached-blue denim mini skirt with a ruffled edge and dashes of pink woven into the skirt that matched the shade of the top, and cowboy boots in a color that was a mix between brown and green, which surprisingly looked good.

_Adorable,_ M'gann grinned. It was just her style, and looked to be in her size. Behind her, Connor rolled her eyes at her girliness she chose to ignore. She leaned in closer to check out the prices. Hopefully they were right in her budget.

As she leaned down, Connor's wandering eyes slid down to her butt. Her very nice, perfectly shaped butt that was shown well in her jeans. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who noticed. From the corner of his eye, he spied two guys eyeing _his girl's_ figure, nudging each other and smiling like they've won the jackpot.

Stepping in front of M'gann, Connor blocked their perverted eyes away from her, and shifted their attention onto him. He gave them a look that was cold enough to suck all the body's warmth and deadly enough for them to imagine plenty of tortuous ways to die at his hands. They were gone in a flash.

M'gann stood up, watching them go and hearing their interesting thoughts. She turned around to her boyfriend, who tried to look stern but couldn't erase his smug smile. She sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"

Smirking, Connor wrapped his arm around her, stealing a kiss on her temple. "You got an imagination," he said. "I'm sure you can come up with a few scenarios."

Inside the store, M'gann was like a kid wandering around in a toys store during Christmastime. Her hazel brown eyes were wide in delight as they took in the entire new inventory. Cute tops from Milan and Paris, beautifully-designed skirts from Spain and Indian, and shoes from Italy. So many shoes, a girl would be broke in less than an hour if she went overboard. There were so many amazing things on sale she didn't know where to start.

She could barely contain herself. She fished through all the racks and shelves, looking through different clothes, finding things in her size, and adding more to the huge collection piled up in her arms. Connor stayed close behind, silent but lending a helping hand to carry the overload when it looked like M'gann's clothes mountain was a second away from collasping. He, being like most guys, didn't see the point of shopping. He understood you needed to go to the store once in awhile to get some new clothes to replace the old. Getting more than hundreds of stuff and carrying dozens of shopping bags like most girls did was a whole other story.

But M'gann was his girlfriend, and he loved her. Nothing pleased him more than seeing her smile. Even if that meant carrying hundreds of shopping bags as they went around the mall, putting up the looks people gave them as they passed, and being dragged from store to store. Plus, every sour situation sometimes had their flipside, or bright side as some would say.

His flipside was the fact sometimes he'd sneak inside the dressing room with her, and the two would have their own fun. Those were moments, or minutes or hours depending on how much control the other had, that made the endless shopping worthwhile.

"Connor," He was pulled away from his thoughts by the sound of M'gann's familiar, sweet voice and looked up. M'gann twirled in front of him, modeling a lavender spaghetti-strapped dress, the skirt fanning out and showing off her legs. She stopped with a giggle and asked "Do you like it? Do you think I look okay?"

Connor eyed up and down, his eyes not leaving anything out. He said to her the first thing that came out to his mind. "You look beautiful."

_Then again no matter what you wear, you still look gorgeous._ He sent that thought to her telepathically.

M'gann's heart melted at his words, an uncommon effect. Every time he called her beautiful, her heart melted from the sweetness of his words and the sincerity that shown every time he said it. That was one of the many things about their relationship she never took for granted.

_I love you. _She climbed onto his lap, wrapped her arms around him, and gave him a kiss that showed how much she appreciated him. Conner had one arm around her waist he used to pull her closer to him, and his free hand he used to caress her left cheek.

Before his tongue could slip into her familiar cave, M'gann broke it, replacing her lips with her finger she used to push him back a bit. Smiling softly, his Martian got up and went back inside the dressing room to change into more outfits.

_Tease._ Her smile broadened at the thought of his sullen pout.

_I still need your opinion on thirty-six more outfits_.

He groaned, irritated. _You are so making this up to me later._ To make clear of what her payment should be, he conjured up images of them kissing in his room, the lights off, their bodies pressed close.

M'gann's face blushed a red color that matched her hair and bit her lip. Even in the dressing room, she could feel his smirk.

_I think that can be arranged_, she thought coyly.

Most of the clothes she chose were in her usual girly, modest style, but she also picked a few daring ones after swapping so many clothes with Artemis, and taking a liking to her friend's style. For example, the white midriff-baring top she paired with a blue hoodie that reminded her of Connor's eyes and black jeans. A beautiful ruby-red top with thicker straps and loose tie on the front with bleached blue shorts. For the twenty fifth outfit, she threw on a black silver-buttoned vest over a white ruffled-front blouse, classic knee-length black shirt with a pair of dark brown ankle boots, and lacey fingerless gloves.

_Well?_ She came out in a twirl and modeled the outfit for him, putting on her best model face. _What do you think?_

Connor's patience was wearing thin with each outfit she tried on. He made it plainly clear he was bored out of his mind, but he didn't complain.

He eyed the drastic outfit from head to toe, taking note of the dark chestnut-brown spiky pixie-cut M'gann did for her hair. His lips curled into a smirk. "You look like the physic vampire from Twilight."

M'gann softly gasped, and a chuckle rumbled in Connor's throat. He was amused by her reaction, even if it was a fake one. If they were home, a pillow would be thrown in his head, but since she had no pillow on her, she used her powers to lightly thump him on the head. He was barely fazed by it.

_Mean._ She stuck her tongue out at him.

_You're the one who wanted my opinion,_ Connor reminded her. _Well, you got it. _

She was beginning to wonder why. She went back into the dressing room and stared at her reflection. The more she studied it, the more she saw where Connor was coming from. She really did look like Alice Cullen, except a bit taller, had tanner skin and freckles.

_Told you_, he said.

_Hush._ Laughing she changed her hair back into its' normal red shade, completed with a pink headband. Then, studying her reflection and getting a thought, she took the headband off, tucked it into her bag, and darkened her hair a bit to a reddish-brown.

_Not bad_, she noticed. Maybe this would be Megan's new permanent hair color.

_Please tell me you're almost done_, Connor begged.

_Almost_. He groaned in her head, and she smiled. A second later, an image of them in his room, kissing heavily flashed in her mind, being reminded yet again of the debt she owed him.

M'gann changed out of the Alice Cullen outfit, adding it to the pile of clothes she tried on for fun that she wasn't going to buy.

There was still one more outfit she hadn't tried on yet. Hanging on the door was an olive-green, silk smooth blouse with cap sleeves and dark jeans that were definitely tighter than what she usually wore. M'gann tried them on, noting how the jeans were a bit smug but a perfect fit nevertheless, and really loved the material of the blouse. Well, actually, loved the blouse in general.

_Okay, now I'm done. _

"Thank God." He praised.

Giggling, M'gann got to work unchanging. As she reached for the last button, a strange feeling came over her. It wasn't so much as a strange feeling, but a sudden dizziness that was so sharp it pained her.

"M'gann?" Connor must have felt her distress, proving once again how strong their connection was growing every day. "M'gann, are you okay?"

_I_…her thought was cut off as the dizziness. It was like a pain rooted in her brain, slowly but surely spreading all over, and making her feel weak. The pain became so sharp, like a tip to an assassin's knife stabbing in her brain, bringing her down to her knees. She had migraines before like any normal being, but none were even close to this pain.

As the pain increased, her vision changed. Bits of red overing in the darkness turned into a pool of red and yellow, swirling around in her mind in the form of yang and yang. The two mixed together into one color, spreading all around until everywhere was bathed in the color. It was all so pretty, her fingers inched in close to it. The second her fingers touched the color, it changed into fire. Fierce fire sprouting out the most powerful flames she ever seen in her life, draining out sound as they burnt everything in their path. She could feel the incredible power in the fire, dripping off every little spark and flame. She sensed the darkness, the hatred, the rage.

It was too much. She could barely stand it. She needed to get away, but there was nowhere to run. Fire was everywhere, surrounding her, trying to consume her like everything else. The flames closer to her feet entangled themselves around her, burning her skin while the ones above were reaching out for her like greedy hands wanting to get into her head.

"M'gann!" She thought she heard the door behind her being smashed in, but she couldn't be so sure. At the moment she was lying down on the ground, in fetal position, hands holding her head, eyes closed shut, trying to will it all away. She couldn't be sure of anything except for the pain and the fire.

"M'gann!" He was holding her, shaking her hard, as if that would wake her up.

The flames were getting closer to her, entangling themselves around her, as if they wanted to be in sync with her. She opened her eyes, and was instantly blinded by the strong stench of smoke.

Tears streamed down her cheeks from her eyes, which burnt from the smoke. She forced herself to look past that, to see what was above behind the fire. A pair of golden hazel eyes stood out in the fire, glowing vividly like they were the heart of the fire. They were devoid of any emotion as they stared down at her, watching her closely. As if they were telling her something, a message she couldn't understand.

There was something about those eyes. Despite the cold barrier it kept and the frightening stare, M'gann couldn't shake the feeling there was something so familiar about them. Vague, as if she seen them in a dream or had a long-lost memory she couldn't remember.

_Come to me_, they said. The voice she didn't recognize. It was hard to place it, but it did sound feminine. Feminine and comforting, alluring almost. Like a guardian offering wonderful shelter to a frightened child from all the badness in the world, to some place warm.

_Come to me. _

She took a small, hesitant step forward, unable to look away from the captivating gold.

"M'gann!" Connor suddenly was right beside her, gripping her arm tightly before she made another step. The fire was burning him as well, but he was oblivious to the pain. He was too busy focusing on her, worrying. He gripped her shoulders, shaking hard, his face wild with panic. "Wake up!"

_Connor_, she thought. She cupped his face and leaned in close, their faces so close to each other. She looked into the beautiful, intense sea of blue she recognized anywhere. She leaned in close to him, burying her face in his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her, feeling awakened from his warmth and touch.

When she finally opened her eyes, she glanced around. The clothes she wasn't buying, the clothes she was buying, her purse, Connor looking down at her. There was concern in his eyes. M'gann was puzzled by it. Why would he be concerned?

Suddenly, it hit her. Bits of pieces forming a picture inside her head. The horrible headache that left a normal but painful migraine behind, red and yellow suddenly becoming fire, and golden eyes. She remembered them vividly. How frightening it was to look into those eyes but at the same time remembered how she couldn't look away. They had such a grip on her, beckoning her, and looked so familiar to her.

Only problem was she didn't know why.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded, and he helped her sit up in her lap, keeping her close to him.

"What happened?" She may remember a few things, but her head was still fuzzy on the details.

Connor's eyes narrowed. "You tell me."

She did, as much as he could remember, which really wasn't much. She repeated the story to the rest of the team later at Pang's Chinese Palace, where they met up for lunch. Over bites of pu-pu platter and low mien, she repeated the story, which puzzled them. Well, Kaldur and the others were puzzled. Wally was too busy stuffing his face with chicken wings to give much of a reaction.

"Maybe it's a Martian thing." He popped an orange chicken into his mouth, and then almost immediately hacked it up. Around the time he was swallowing it down, Artemis stepped hard on his foot, almost making him choke. He took a minute to get himself together, gulping down on water and taking deep breathes. "What the hell?" he glared at her.

Artemis, who was sitting across from him, her head nestled against Kaldur's shoulder, scowled at him. "Not all problems go back to her species, genius."

Wally opened his mouth to reply, but Kaldur cut in. "She does have a point, Kid."

Artemis smirked, satisfied. She kissed Kaldur's cheek, and that gesture brought a bemused smile to the leader's face.

"Maybe it doesn't have to do with my race," M'gann said. She played with her straw, staring down at her Coke, collecting her thoughts. "Maybe it's because of my powers."

"They've definitely gotten stronger." Robin added.

That was an understatement. M'gann's powers have always been unique. While most Martians powers were fully developed by the time they were twelve, hers was a different matter. Each day they grew stronger and more powerful. Since she came to Earth, they continued to grow, even under her uncle's training. And after the disastrous training exercise gone wrong, her powers weren't only growing but also uncontrollable.

"In terms of raw power, she has the strongest telepathic mind I have ever encountered," her uncle had said to Batman and Red Tornado as she sobbed onto Captain Marvel's chest. "Far stronger than mine."

Her Uncle J'onn was a member of the Aruita Council in Mars. The Council decided the fate of every Martian, were the sole rulers of the planet, and whose powers had no limit. Yet, according to him, M'gann's own powers were much stronger than his, stronger than an already powerful member of her race. She knew shouldn't look too much into it. In fact, she should be thrilled, because she knew there were many Martians who would love to have that kind of power.

Except it wasn't the power that scared her. Well, it did, but not as much as her handling those powers. Her emotions were the key to her powers, setting them off, which were sometimes a not so bad thing and a very bad thing. The training exercise was a perfect example. Her emotions got in the way of her judgment, and it was because of her mistake her team fell into comas.

There was no telling how far her telepathy could go. No telling how far she could go. The same condition went her telekinesis. The two abilities were in synced with each other, going together hand in hand, so while her telepathy powers were uncontrollable, her telekinesis was unstable. It was as if all she had to do was react to something, and they would go off.

_What if I can't control it?_ The thought weighted down heavily on her. What if she really lost control?

Connor grabbed her hand. _Don't think that_, he said, his thought as firm as his grip.

M'gann smiled, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. _Isn't it usually me who stops negativity? _She nudged his shoulder playfully.

He shrugged, indifferent, but there was a small smile on his face. _You won't let anyone rag on your boyfriend; I won't let anyone rag on my girlfriend._

_Have I ever mentioned how much I love being your girlfriend? _She caught his eye, smiling.

Wally broke their connection, a bit rudely, with a loud noise that was a cross between clearing his throat and a snort. "It's bad enough I have to watch these two make googely eyes at each other," He shifted his fork from Connor and M'gann over to Kaldur and Artemis, who were just as un-amused as them. "Now I have to go through a double dosage. While I'm eating."

Connor's arm was tense, feeling like dead weight on M'gann's shoulder. His jaw was set tight. "Here's something to go with your lunch."

She thought Connor was going to punch him. She was waiting anxiously for the pounce to happen so she could stop it. What she didn't expect was him cupping her face and bringing her in for a kiss. She was so startled by it; she was frozen like a statue. As he leaned in closer and the kiss became sweeter, she quickly gave in, melting into him.

"Great," Kid groaned while everyone else was laughing. He pushed his half-eaten plate in disgust. "Now I lost my appetite."

"Great thinking, Superboy." Artemis leaned up and kissed Kaldur in a surprise attack. The merman tried to pull away, knowing this wasn't the right time, but his girlfriend was nothing if not persuasive. She pressed her boy more against his, opened her mouth a bit wider, and it wasn't long before he was sucked into her web.

They all broke apart as Kid banged his head on the table, groaning loudly. "Now I lost appetite for the rest of the day, thank you so much."

"Thank God," Robin commented. He smiled innocently at the dark glare his best friend shot him. "That means we won't have a fourth trip to the store."

Everyone burst into the laughter, except for a pouting Wally, who made sure to punch Robin good in the arm. He commented that they really needed to add another girl to the team.

"Why?" Kaldur asked.

"Because I'm the odd man out. All the girls are taken," He looked over at Robin and Zatanna. "Correction, one girl's guy is still going through the last stages of puberty. One fished her guy in with her bow and arrow. My favorite girl, my dear Megan, got entangled by Superbull."

Robin and Zatanna punched Kid in the arms, Artemis kicked his shins extra hard, digging her boot heels deep into his skin, and Connor kicked his chair's legs, knocking him down onto the ground.

"Poor Kid." M'gann said, turning to Kaldur.

"True," he agreed. "But he does bring it on himself most of the time."

The rest of the lunch and the afternoon were nice. Kid, of course, cleaned out the entire buffet in less than an hour, which got him run out by the knife-wielding chef. The girls stopped a few more stores, ignoring the boys' groans as they were handed more bags to hold. They ended the day with a movie, _Sky Fall_, which was epic.

M'gann had such a nice time with her friends. Then again, she mostly did whenever they got together. The afternoon was almost enough to make her forget about the strange vision she seen.

Almost.


	3. Chapter 3

**Unbreakable Chapter 2**

Happy Harbor Bumblebee cheerleaders were known for many things.

Being popular.

Being pretty.

Coming up with new, fantastic routines for every game they performed at.

However, there was still one unknown fact about them M'gann sometimes felt the people knew about. That unknown fact was Wendy Lee, a kind-hearted student known to classmates and friends alike, was incredibly fierce as a captain. M'gann didn't mean she was mean. She was anything but. But in practices, though she wasn't deliberately mean or degrading, she was _intense_.

In practices, everyone was expected to give a hundred and ten percent. And that was only the minimum average they should throw in. Everything, from every move and twirl to every jump and back flip had to be precise. Perfect. Wendy didn't expect anything less than that.

But if someone were to not throw in the minimal effort, all hell would break loose.

"_For God's sake!_" Wendy bellowed from the sidelines, watching the Bumblebees go through the same routine they've been working on for the past two hours. They weren't being sloppy, but as the day dwindled to late afternoon, the girls' exhaustion was shown through the lack of enthusiasm in their moves. That was something Wendy didn't like seeing. "Cut the music."

Marvin, the school's class clown and Wendy's good friend, clicked the pause button on the iPod deck, cutting off Beyoncé. He gave the cheerleaders a sympathetic look. At the sound of her yell, the Bumblebees broke out of position and waited to hear the newest verdict from their streaming captain.

"Guys, you're making this harder than it needs to be," Wendy didn't yell, but it was clear she was frustrated. "It's only dancing."

Karen rolled her eyes at M'gann, nodding her head at Wendy. The bold, outspoken girl clearly was offended. Karen was the team's choreographer, and a ten first-place champion in dance competitions. When someone would make a comment against dancing, such as degrading it or implying it didn't take much to do like Wendy, she easily got offended. "I think we both know that's not true, Miss Commando."

Wendy shot her a glare, then looked around at the other cheerleaders, who didn't bother hiding their exhaustion, and checked her watch for the time. It was a quarter to five. They still had a good half hour to make use of the field before they had to leave. She clapped her hands, bringing order back. "Alright, girls, let's try this one more time. And make it count; otherwise we're ending practice with suicide runs."

The girls groaned in protest, either shaking their heads or dropping them into their hands. M'gann didn't join in their groaning choir, but she did roll her eyes. Still, she and the girls got into their starting positions, waited for Marvin to play the music, and counted out the beats.

_Oh well_, she thought. _No pain, no gain. Right?_

Little over half an hour later, she found out she was wrong. Dead wrong. The man who came up with that expression wouldn't be so sure of his theory if he went through their practices. One hour with Wendy and he'd be eating his own words.

M'gann loved dancing. She loved the way the music gave her energy through the beats and melody, loved the way it never failed to lift her up whenever she was blue and how every problem easily slipped away with every song. She also loved being apart of a team, bonding with the other girls and making good friends with almost all of them. Still, though, as much as she loved it, her muscles were stiffly sore, close to cramping. Her clothes, slick with sweat, clung onto her skin and weighted down heavilly on her body. And it hurt to take in a quick breath.

But no one ever said cheerleading was easy.

She changed out of her practice outfit, a white tank top and light pink capri-pants. The hot shower she indulged herself after practice refreshed her mood, easing the tension of her aching body. After applying her favorite rose and chamomile body lotion, she changed into a lavender blouse with flowing, split sleeves she got from their Saturday mall trip. She paired the top with dark denim, flare-legged jeans and brown ankle boots.

Dressed and refreshed, she checked her reflection in the mirror. Thanks to practice, her cheeks definitely had color in them. Maybe a bit too much, but it was still color. She left her headband at the Cave and ran a brush through her mid-length hair. It was first time 'Megan' went to school with her hair loose from the headband, and so far everyone thought she looked good. Looking at her reflection, she had to agree it looked nice.

Wendy came over and placed her hand on her shoulder, a sheepish smile playing on her lips. Now that practice was over, she was back to being sweet and considerate Wendy. "Please tell me you don't hate me."

"I don't hate you," M'gann assured her. "My body's just…overly sore. Nothing a hot shower can't fix."

Karen shut her locker with a bump of her hip, and joined in the conversation. "Or a nice, warm bed, where I'll be crashing until tomorrow." Her smile was playful, but her dark eyes narrowed as they stared at Wendy. "Of course, it'd be better if our captain didn't always go Military general on our asses."

Wendy's smile almost resembled a smirk. "I wouldn't be so hard-core if our choreographer came up with easier moves."

Karen elbowed her, reminding Wendy about her goal to make the Bumblebees the best. You couldn't be the best if you did simple, easy moves anyone could pull off.

"So are you guys coming to the play?" M'gann asked. It was next Friday, and so far almost everyone plan to go. It was either because they were curious or wanting to see how long Wally would last onstage before Connor tore him off.

Wendy nodded. Karen said "Of course. I need to make sure my money is safe. I bet twenty bucks Connor's going to crack during the honeymoon scene."

Wendy shook her head. "No way. Definitely the first kiss. Connor's the definition of over protectiveness. By the time Wally leans in, Connor's going to have his ass."

M'gann could easily see it. Her and Wally onstage sneaking into a private corner, her trying to resist his charm while he comes closer to her. Them close to sealing the holy palmers' kiss with a kiss on their own. Then, out of nowhere, Connor dragged Wally offstage into the darkness of backstage, where people could hear Wally's screams and Connor's fists. She shook her to clear her mind, making a note to herself to bring a stash of kryptonite in case things went out of hand.

Saying bye to her friends and slipping on her jacket, she left her school and took a nice stroll through Happy Harbor. Being the late afternoon, the streets were quickly quiet and calm. It was very peaceful. She enjoyed moments like this, especially with the nice autumn winter they were in, feeling the nice wind play with her hair.

One of the things she loved about Earth was the changing weather. It went from sunny, to rainy, to snowy, and sometimes in between, rarely going in the same order. Things weren't like that back on Mars. There was only weather there, and that was cold. Not the snowy, but the freezing, negative-degree temperature cold enough freeze a heart. Here, on the earth, the weather was experiencing a transition period called fall, where all the leaves changed colors, the air was slightly colder, and everything looked pretty.

Soon, in less than a week, they would shift from November to December, preparing themselves for the festivities coming their way. Christmas, New Year's Eve, and then New Year's, not to mention all the decorating, shopping, and food-preparing that went along with them.

A soft beep from a car horn went off behind her. She quickly turned, believing it was trouble, and relaxed when she saw a familiar black Lexus pulling up beside her. The dark-tinted window rolled down, revealing a bald-headed, African-American man in his forties dressed in a dark suit.

M'gann recognized him instantly, even in his disguise. "Uncle John!"

The disguised Martian had little time to respond to her greeting before his very eager niece plummet him to the ground, embracing him tightly.

"I miss you." She hugged him tighter.

"And I have missed you as well, M'gann." His words came out in a wheezing manner; on the account M'gann's grip was extremely tight. He managed to free himself, and hugged her properly.

The two didn't get to see each other as often as they would like, with her uncle taking care of things up in the sky and her keeping things in order below. But once a week or so, her uncle pull away from duties to spend the afternoon with her, taking her out to lunch. Today, he treated her to Bertucci's.

M'gann deeply inhaled the fresh oven-baked bread, shivering in delight at the delicious smell. No matter how many times her uncle brought her to the restaurant, she never got tired of their amazing food. She shoved it into her mouth, swallowing it down whole, and then licked the butter out the package, into her mouth, moaning again in pleasure.

Before she could grab bread roll, her uncle grabbed hold of her hand. "M'gann, manners." He reminded her.

She realized several people were staring at her. A rush of warmth spread to her cheeks, turning them bright red in embarrassment. She smiled sheepishly, and ate her roll the proper way.

_I can't help it_, she said telepathically. _It's delicious._

_Nevertheless, you have to remember your manners and be polite,_ he answered back.

_You're beginning to sound like father more and more everyday, uncle. _

Her uncle nodded his head slightly, acknowledging the remark, smiling as he sipped his black coffee. It was the only thing he drank on Earth other than water. "There's another reason I decided to take you out for lunch. I have something for you."

He pulled out three packages wrapped in shining purple gift-wrap and handed them over to her. M'gann didn't need to read his mind to know they were books. Books and clothes were usually gifts her uncle gave her when she had a successful mission, did well in school, and or was given good feedback. Clothes, though, were a bit trickier for him to get since he was a still uncertain about women's clothing despite him being here longer, so he relied on Black Canary and Artemis's help to get the right thing for her. Books were much easier because M'gann read pretty much anything and everything.

The first book was a soft black paperback titled in purple, gothic glossy lettering _Beautiful Creatures_. The second one featured a picture of a beautiful, brunette girl in a flowing white dress, the words _Shatter Me_ imprinted near her feet. The third book was like the second one in a way. A beautiful girl was featured on the cover, but she wore a crimson-colored dress that had a medieval feel to it, and carried a cross-bow that reminded her of Artemis. The book was called _Grave Mercy_.

She read the flops tucked in the books and the back covers to get a good idea of them. So far, she could tell she was going to like them. "Thanks, Uncle John."

Their waiter came back with their refills and orders, setting down a plate of pasta and black coffee for her uncle and Coke and pepperoni pizza for her. "Please let me know if there's anything else you need."

"We will," Her uncle waited till he was gone from sight before continuing his conversation with M'gann. "The books are a gesture to express how proud I am of you. I received good reports from your teachers."

During lunch, her uncle told her about the strange silence going on. In the past three weeks, things have not been quiet in Happy Harbor, but around the world and also in the galaxy. No threats, no trouble, and not even a single act of criminal activity. Some of the Justice League members were lowering their guards a bit to enjoy themselves the free time, but most, like Batman, refused to believe in coincidences. He felt something was coming, something big. Her uncle expressed the same concerns.

"Uncle, why don't you just enjoy yourselves? If things are quiet, then maybe that means the bad guys are taking a break themselves. You guys should relax." M'gann said.

Her uncle smiled. He wasn't always on edge like Batman, but he never let anything pass by with a blind eye. "One can never be too careful, little one." He patted her head affectionately.

M'gann told what's been going on with her. Unlike the League, the Young Justice was easily enjoying themselves with the silence going on. Well, Kaldur didn't really decided to relax and still had his guard up, but Artemis kept his mind preoccupied with other things. She informed she was still doing her meditation exercise like he instructed. How things with the Bumblebees were a bit challenging, but she still enjoyed every bit of it. And told him how rehearsals were going great, and how closer Mr. Lloyd was coming to using Richard Blake, Wally's understudy, for the play.

Yesterday, they were going through the masquerade scene one more time. Romeo spotted Juliet dancing around with other men, catching their eyes. Then, while everyone else listened to the cellist play a beautifully tragic song on his cello, they sneaked away into a private corner to share their first kiss. They weren't allowed to kiss because the teacher wanted to preserve the magic for opening night, so they stuck with holding each other close. But Wally took it a step farther. He pressed M'gann's body a bit too close to his, and left a trail of kisses on her neck. Even though they were friends, M'gann still felt a bit uncomfortable.

Of course, Connor "accidently" elbowing the heavy pillar, which narrowly missed their heads, didn't make matters better. Mr. Lloyd was so close to closing it; smoke was bursting out of his ears.

Shaking her head, she said "I can only hope Wally will lay off him. Or least still be in one piece by Friday."

Her uncle gave her a knowing smile. He worked along side Kid's uncle, Flash, who was an older version of his nephew, so he understand how Flashes can be…overbearing half the time. "I'm sure the play will go well."

"You are coming right?" She wanted to make sure she had the right number of seats reversed for her guests. So far everyone in the team was going, Black Canary and Green Arrow, Flash, Batman, even Red Tornado going as his human alter ego, John Smith. It was going to be his first play.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." J'onn smiled, taking a sip of his coffee. Then he paused as a thought came to mind. "Exactly, how many kisses are going to be in this play?"

Oh dear Mars. That was one question she was hoping to avoid. "Well…"

"M'gann."

_Ten_, she told him subconsciously.

The elder Martin was still as a statue, his amber eyes boring into hers, their gaze steady as a chilled iciness frosted over them, his mouth drawn into a thin line. _Care to explain._

"Mr. Lloyd made a few, slight changes to the play." she explained. By few, she meant a lot.

It was all thanks to his daughter, Mia, a perky junior in M'gann's English class. Like her dad, she was obsessed with theater and everything in it, but preferred being the one behind the scenes and directing. She thought the play was sorely lacking in romantic feel because of the shortage of kisses. Even though traditionally there were about three famous kiss scenes in the play, she convinced her dad to add more. Another one in the masquerade scene, few more exchanged for the balcony scene, a rather eager one for the wedding, few more in the morning after, and the last two for their final scenes. Altogether, it added into ten kisses.

Mr. Lloyd decided to take the romance even further. He had thrown in a honeymoon scene.

"_A honeymoon scene!_" Her uncle spoken the words so calmly, but anger was radiating from his tone.

"Not in the way you're thinking!" She knew what was going through his head. They were the same or similar to the thoughts she and the rest of the cast had when the teacher made the announcement. She remembered the eager thoughts pouring out of Wally's mind, and recalled how almost half the production crew had to hold Connor back from murdering him.

Mr. Lloyd broke down the scene for them. It wasn't going to be anything to over the top or risqué. He made the scene to be very suggestive and sweet. Soon after Lord Capulet and Paris discuss marriage plans, the curtains would be closed momentary for the crew to set the up Juliet's room and put up a dark background. When the curtains opened again, Juliet would be praying by her bedside and Romeo comes behind her, lightly touching her shoulder. She'd take her time looking into his eyes, silencing him with a single finger before he could said anything, and softly kiss his lips. The kiss would become more passionate, deepening as they pressed close against each other and fall onto her bed. While they were tangled in each other, Romeo would pull the covers over their heads, shutting the rest of the world out.

Reading it, M'gann was able to see it wasn't so bad. It was definitely suggestive, more than enough to give off the interception of what was to come, but at the same time it was innocent enough not to them in trouble. Her uncle, however, wasn't as convinced. He still wore a darkened scowl on his face.

"I wonder if my rifle has enough bullets." he murmured, innocently taking a sip of his coffee.

M'gann burst out a loud gasp that attracted the attention of nearby tables having their lunch and waiters walking around, their hands filled with orders. She looked away, ducking her head down, until they looked away from her. Once she was sure, she looked up at her uncle who calmly drank his coffee as if he didn't easily make a threat against her friend. "Uncle John, you are _not _bringing a rifle to the school play. I'll be expelled."

He shrugged indifferently. "I can home-school you."

M'gann groaned and dropped her head onto her table. She needed a minute to herself. She only lifted up again, slightly, as her uncle stroked her hair.

A soft smile appeared on his face. "I didn't mean to distress you." he said. "My apologizes. I'm only protective of you."

She wanted to stay mad at him, or be upset for a few more seconds. But her lips, being a traitor to her, curled up into a smile. She could never be mad at J'onn. Her uncle was strict most of the time, overprotective (especially when it came to her relationship with Connor), and sometimes stubborn, but never once did M'gann doubt how much he cared for her. How she was like a daughter to him just as he was a father to her.

"I knew." she said.

With that, J'onn decided to change the subject. "Is there anything else going on? Anything I can help with?"

She thought back to what happened in the dressing room at the Spot. The horrible headache that soon turned into some sort of daydream nightmare. How she was trapped in a swarm of fire trying to eat her alive. The pair of alluring hazel eyes that burnt bright like melted gold.

Again, she was hit by the strangest sensation of déjà vu from remembering them. How they looked, how they stared at her, how they called to her. They were so familiar to her, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"M'gann," She met his gaze, and could tell by his expression he read some of her thoughts. "What happened?"

"I…" She stumbled with her words, unsure where exactly to begin. Or how to explain what happened to her. It was all so strange. And to make matters worse, she was forgetting parts of it. The more days passed by, the more her memory slipped away. The only thing she remembered clearly was the hazel eyes beckoning her to come closer.

"Tell me."

She told him as much as she could remember which wasn't much. By the time she was done, her usually unshakeable, composed uncle was just as baffled as her friends were.

"Very unusual." he finally said.

She told him her friends' theories, Wally believing it had to do with her race and Robin saying her powers might be the cause. "Could he be right?"

"Well," the word slowly rolled off his tongue as he thought about it. "You've always been a special girl, little one. From the moment you were born, you were destined for extraordinary things." He reached across the table for her chin, lifting it up slightly, and stroked her cheek. There was a wistful look in his eyes, almost like he was here but his mind was somewhere far away. "You both were."

M'gann sucked in a breath as if the wind was knocked out of her. Her chest felt so tight, and a hard lump was wedged in her throat, making it difficult to breathe. She knew it wasn't anything supernatural other than the supreme force of her emotions making their impact on her. Incredible grief slashed right across her heart, releasing a great ache deep within she tried to keep buried for so many years. Right after the sadness was a strong, almost desperate need. A need that was similar to longing yet very different. It was a need she couldn't put off but knew she couldn't have. The two emotions were entangled together, mangling with her heart at the mere reminder of what she lost.

The Martian was so caught in her grief; she didn't realize she was crying until she felt two lone tears drip down her face, burning hot. Her uncle tried to wipe away her tears, but she gently shook him off, not wanting him to touch it. She inhaled a shaky breath, struggling not to unleash the powerful tears, and let it out slowly as she willed herself to calm down.

_I didn't mean to upset you._ He handed her a napkin. She offered him a silent "thanks", wiped her eyes, and crumbled it in her fists.

_You didn't upset me._ She took in another breath, fighting against a burst of sobs trying to come out. She managed to stop herself from sobbing, but there was little she could do to stop the endless stream of hot tears from rolling down her cheeks. _I just..I just..._

"I miss her." she said in inaudible whisper.

J'onn wished there was something he could do or say to make his niece feel better. There was nothing he hated more than seeing M'gann, his little sunshine, so upset. But this was one matter that had no solution. There was little he could do other than let her cry, allow her to have her moment, and just hope a hug would offer some comfort to her afterward.


End file.
